There’s nothing like a good opening credits intro to put you in the mood for your favorite show. While not every series these days bothers to include one, we have a special fondness for those that find value in this classic TV tradition. Some intros keep it simple with a memorable theme song (All in the Family; The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; Friends) while others are so richly sequenced over earworm instrumentals (Mad Men; Desperate Housewives; Game of Thrones), they’re like a work of art in and of themselves.
Here are our picks for the 30 best TV show opening credits, presented in no particular order.
The Simpsons (1989–present)
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You peek into the clouds as a heavenly chorus sings the show’s name. Jaunty orchestral music begins as Bart writes a different clever joke on the chalkboard every time. A frenzied tour of the town ensues, ending at the home of Homer, where the family races to pile onto the couch, creating more unique-each-week colorful mayhem. You are primed. You are smiling. You are home. —Dan Snierson
Game of Thrones (2011–2019)
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Almost as long as a regular episode and covering twice the distance, the Emmy-winning opening sequence of HBO’s fantasy flagship is an epic movie in and of itself, and as close to an all-inclusive cruise of Westeros as any of us will ever get. Even if you don’t know some of the mind-blowing details behind the mechanical credits (courtesy of design firm Elastic), those sweeping strums and powerful drums create an evocative signal that Game of Thrones is marching near. —D.S.
All in the Family (1971–1979)
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What better introduction could there be for Archie and Edith than this improbably tender duet? Wry and shrill in their delivery, respectively, Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton’s strange harmony in the sequence is as pitch-perfect as their comedic chemistry playing the grumpy bigot and the bighearted “dingbat” on Norman Lear‘s groundbreaking sitcom. Those were the days. —Mary Sollosi
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996)
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Every episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air opens with a hip-hop prologue laying down the sitcom’s premise in a sequence brought to life, in brilliant neon, by an energetic Will Smith. The iconic theme song (don’t pretend you don’t still know the lyrics all about how his life got flipped-turned upside down) was created in just 15 minutes by Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff; maybe that’s why, even after all these years, it still sounds so artless, so spontaneous, so very fresh. —M.S.
Sex and the City (1998–2004)
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The splash. The sax. The twirl. The tutu. We can’t help but wonder whether Sex and the City would be the same without its iconic opening credits, which perfectly introduce the sexy, stylish world of Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) — only to characteristically undermine our inventively dressed heroine just as she sees her own face on the side of a bus. —M.S.
The Sopranos (1999–2007)
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There’s no worse crime than skipping the opening credits on an episode of The Sopranos (besides basically everything that happens after the opening credits on an episode of The Sopranos). Tony’s (James Gandolfini) drive down the New Jersey Turnpike may be decidedly unglamorous — in stark contrast to the decadence of his mob movie predecessors — but set to Alabama 3’s impossibly cool “Woke Up This Morning,” it perfectly sets up this singular world and the strange appeal of its antihero. —M.S.
Shameless (2011–2021)
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Perhaps initially most memorable for its bookending shot of Justin Chatwin‘s buttocks — okay, at least for this writer — Shameless‘ title sequence has always perfectly captured the show’s spirit. Checking in on the Gallagher clan (along with a few friends) as they enter the small, grungy family bathroom, it captures a grittily hilarious vibe while also snapshotting a big ensemble in brief but revealing moments. —David Canfield
American Horror Story (2011–present)
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Paired with the viscerally unsettling theme song (those distorted dripping sounds!), the main titles to American Horror Story are sometimes the scariest part of an episode. Each season’s opening credits feature creepy imagery associated with the theme — e.g., body parts in jars for Murder House, various witchcraft for Coven — setting the mood for the horrors that await. —K.J.
Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990–2000)
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Brandon’s (Jason Priestley) fist pump, Dylan’s (Luke Perry) eyebrow raise, sexy beach volleyball games, Donna (Tori Spelling) and Kelly’s (Jennie Garth) dance twirl: Our friends from California knew how to live it up in their opening credits. This was #squadgoals, before we even knew what they were. —H.G.
Friends (1994–2004)
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Fountain-frolicking, coordinated umbrella-opening, and that New York City skyline make the whole “skip intro” streaming function massively unnecessary. Don’t deny it, you know you sneak in four quick claps every time you start a new episode, and those lyrics will be there for you until the end of time (or at least permanently lodged in your memory). —Ruth Kinane
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–1977)
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She could turn the world on with her smile, and when she did, she created TV’s most essential, enduring image of a single gal in the big city. No matter how much the rest of the opening credits changed throughout the series’ run, the sequence always concluded with the happy, hopeful, now-iconic shot of Mary Tyler Moore twirling in the street and tossing her hat in the air. She’s gonna make it after all. —M.S.
